CHURCH NEWS, January 2018

Our Christmas 'Outreach' Events

The afternoon of Monday 11th saw the start of a very busy
period at SMEC, commencing with the Com Club (for over 55's) Christmas special.
Despite a number of absentees due to ill health and particularly poor, icy
weather, a good time was had by the folk who were able to be there.

Graham and Rosie had set up a lovely Christmas table for the
afternoon and we enjoyed sausage rolls, home-made mince pies and various other
goodies.

One of the Com Club members had prepared a Christmas quiz
and the variety of questions taxed our brains for much of the afternoon. Alongside
this there was plenty of friendly banter and good conversation. During
proceedings, Graham took the opportunity to remind us all of the real meaning
of Christmas.

On the morning of Wednesday 13th some 50 people (including 28
children) crammed into the church for the Minis and Minders Christmas special -
the final session before the Christmas break. The children, as usual, enjoyed
playing with the multitude of toys at their disposal before participating in
the Christmas nativity which Jo narrated in an up to date format making good
use of cuddly toys and dolls. This was followed by a buffet, most of which was
provided by Parents and Carers, and a great time was had by all.

4pm on Friday afternoon 15th saw our Messy Church Christmas
special with over 50 folk thoroughly enjoying the craft activities around the
Christmas theme, with some even taking part in an ad hoc nativity play.

This was followed at 6pm by a Christmas meal in the form of
a carvery and included the singing of carols between courses.

The evening finished around 8pm and it was joy to see so
many happy faces of people who had clearly enjoyed the whole event.

On Sunday morning 17th we enjoyed our Christmas Family
Service which was well attended and our young people acted out a modern version
of the nativity in the form of a TV News bulletin which went down really well. The
service concluded with this challenge from our Pastor - 'Don't look at the
manger; but look for the one laying there'.

On Sunday evening, as last year, we joined our friends
across the road at St Mary's Summerstown for a joint Carols by Candlelight
Service and it was very well attended.

St Mary's is a traditional C of E church and the building
has fantastic acoustics which greatly enhanced the singing of our 17-strong
'Summerstown Singers' (all from SMEC) who sang two lovely pieces acapella - 'O
Holy Night' and 'Mary did you know?'.

This was interwoven with congregational carols and a
beautiful duet by Esther and Naomi Havell (who had both just got back from
University) -'Who would have dreamed?'.

The service was led by St Mary's acting minister Jonathan
Fletcher; and the message given by our Pastor Peter Bines about the personal
challenges Mary and Joseph faced - as ever he closed with a challenge to the
congregation 'Trust the Saviour who is Christ the Lord'.)

Dave Connor

Other News

There was a sense of sadness, but also celebration, as we
joined our friends at St. Mary's (across the road) on Sunday 19th November, for
Rev. Roger Ryan's final Sunday service before retirement - which also happened
to be his 70th birthday! He and wife Pauline were suitably honoured / embarrassed
by the gratitude and praise lavished on them after 29 years of service in
Summerstown, as well as the many gifts and warm wishes for the future.

There was a much more profound sense of sadness only a few
days later, when we heard of the premature passing of Geoff Coyne's much
younger sister, after years of health problems, finally losing a short battle
with cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with Geoff, Eilleen and their family
especially at this time.

Hilary Gower

From the Archives:- 'Good Foundations' (part 2)

With significant modernisation work nearing completion, and
Centenary celebrations planned for early 1980, our church looked to be in a
strong position for moving forward into a new chapter - but no-one could have
foreseen what changes were waiting for this small fellowship early in that new
year . . .

The Pastor's Letter, from the 1980 Annual Report:-

'Dear Friends,

What an eventful year! Twelve months ago I was fully involved
in the work at Trinity Road Chapel and busily decorating our new house in Kenlor Road, never thinking that I would be writing this report as Pastor of Summerstown
Mission. Soon after came the shattering news of the death of Philip Rose, who I
had come to know and love at many BB camps, but this sadness was also filled
with wonder at God's marvellous grace in His glorious timing. As a deacon at
the Chapel I as one of those who met with the committee and offered our
assistance, later to be set apart by the diaconate and Church with Colin Paris
for the work at the Mission. Meetings with the committee once more were soon
followed by the service of induction at the end of September.

The induction was a thrilling occasion for all of us and
filled with a sense of great expectancy which I believe has not been misplaced.
On Sunday evenings we have been considering the attributes of God, and once a
month, Colin Paris, the new Mission secretary, is taking us through the epistle
to the Philippians. Our Bible studies on Wednesday evenings have been moved
from the Mission to the homes of some members, and having gone through a study
of the doctrine of the Church we are now going through the Bible a book at a
time. It has been encouraging to see greater sharing and more fervent praying
for the lost.

Another vital event in our Mission life has been the
appointment of a district visitor, George Wright. This has come about through
the generosity of the fellowship at the Chapel who have given sufficient funds
to set George aside for one day every week visiting the area. We trust that in
the coming year folk from the Mission will be going round the district with
George, sharing in this important work.

Finally it has been good to see increased numbers and note
increased giving, but we are still waiting for the Lord to bless in salvation, and
see more local families attending. Our motto is 'Prove me now' (Malachi 3:10, A.V.)
and indeed we are looking to the Lord to bless, but we must also be faithful to
Him and His Word. This means, I believe, that we must seek to conform our
church life, organisation and government to the Word of God - 'Prove me now'!

Yours in His service

Andrew Paterson'

So, as our church stepped into a new decade, with a new
Pastor building on the foundations laid by Rev. Philip Rose, there was indeed a
sense of expectation - what did God have in store for our small fellowship at
the beginning of a new era? (More next time . . .)

CHURCH NEWS, November 2017

Rajo Update - October 2017

During October many churches remembered and celebrated the
events that happened in Wittenberg, Germany 500 years ago, that sparked off the
Reformation across Europe. At the heart of this Reformation was a desire to
return to the heart of Biblical truth about justification by grace alone,
through faith alone. Even before this, men like John Wycliffe had seen the
importance of the Bible being available to ordinary people in their own
language and the Reformers also saw the need for this. Men such as William
Tyndale were martyred for seeking to translate the Bible into English. We now
take it for granted that we have the Bible in English and even a variety of
versions, but this is still not the case for many people around the world and
it has been the burden of organisations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators to
address this issue for many years.

From summer 2016 several changes took place at the Bible
Baptist seminary in Antsirabe where I had continued to help out since the Lord
called Ravaka home. These changes, as well as considerations concerning the
children's future schooling, led me to question whether I should remain in Madagascar in the same role or seek to serve the Lord in a new capacity that would better
suit my gifts. I gradually became convinced that the time was right for us to
return to the UK this summer (2017).

I have known about and been interested in Bible Translation
work for many years and a few people in Madagascar asked if I had considered
this line of work. Although the Bible is translated into Official Malagasy,
this is not readily understood by those speaking other dialects of Malagasy,
especially people in remote areas with little contact with those outside their
own community. To cut a long story short I am now undertaking a course in
Linguistics at Redcliffe Bible College in Gloucester with a view to
subsequently being involved in Bible translation work. The course is
essentially run by Wycliffe Bible Translators, but several years ago they moved
their training department to Redcliffe College. The course runs over 1 year,
though most people gain overseas field experience after the first 6 months,
before continuing to the second part and can then go on to write a thesis to
gain a Master's degree. The first part of the course is mainly concerned with
analysing the sounds and structure of an unwritten language. The second part
develops this further and studies aspects of Bible translation more
specifically.

I hope to
complete the taught part of the course by June next year, having been exempted
from the need to do the practical placement due to my previous experience on
the Mission field. So far I'm enjoying the course, but finding some aspects of
it very challenging and would ask for prayer that I will have the stamina to
complete the course. At times I feel overwhelmed and that I really have very
little gift in this area. Yet last Sunday I was reminded afresh, both in my own
devotions and in the evening service, about the account of the five loaves and
two fish and the way the Lord can take something small and insignificant and
use it for His glory.

The next
step for us beyond the course is still unclear and I need to discuss my
situation with Wycliffe. My ultimate aim is to return to Madagascar to assist in one of the translation projects. However, the children are now
attending local schools in the UK: Anna is in year 10 and Jonathan in year 8,
so we plan to stay here until Anna has at least completed her GCSE's in June
2019. Beyond that there are various possibilities, but it will also depend on
the children. They miss Madagascar and their friends there very much, but the
schooling options for them are limited. We are trusting that the Lord will
direct our next step at the right time and would value your prayers that we
would be sensitive to his leading in this matter and that he will provide the
support we need if we have to consider boarding school at some point.

Liz Rajo

Other News

We are delighted to announce, after years of crippling
depression, Lydia Forbes has made significant progress towards recovery, and is
now back in regular attendance at Summerstown, largely influenced by a new
gentleman-friend, Lee, himself a keen Christian. Thank you to all those who have
been faithfully praying for Lydia all this time - your perseverance has been
rewarded! Please keep Lydia in your prayers, that she may yet make a complete
recovery.

We are equally thankful to God, through the faithful prayers
of many, that Maggie Conor's condition has improved so markedly, and she
continues to respond so well to the ongoing treatment she is receiving for
cancer. Praise the Lord!

It is an absolute pleasure to announce the engagement of
Randy Scott and Joanna Woloszyn in October, as it has been a delight to have
Joanna in attendance with us for the past year or so, and see her grow as a
young Christian. We pray God's blessing on them as they plan their future
together.

Hilary Gower

From the Archives:- 'Good Foundations' (part 1)

The Pastor's Letter, from the 1979 Annual Report:-

'Dear friends,

It is a particular privilege to be writing this letter which
introduces the One Hundredth Annual Report of Summerstown Mission and tells of
the completion of a century of service for Jesus Christ in this area, by a long
succession of devoted Christian men and women.

When Miss Bigwood, daughter of the then Minister of Trinity
Road Chapel, set out in 1879 'to carry the Gospel to the poorer inhabitants of
Summers Town, a hamlet situated between Lower Tooting and Wandsworth Common',
she could scarcely have foreseen all the blessing that would follow in the
lives of so many. Miss Bigwood was not able to do much more than initiate the
work before she had to leave it to others to carry it on.

The motto with which we entered upon 1979 was 'Listen to
Him'; clearly Miss Bigwood did just this in her day, and so opened the way for
us to serve a later generation in Summerstown by proclaiming the Gospel. A
Sunday evening service, a Sunday School and a Mothers' Meeting were all well
established by the end of 1879, and the work today is an amplification of that
basic pattern.

We have been encouraged during the past year by a more
evident interest on the part of parents, which has been reflected in better
attendance at such special occasions as the Bible School Anniversary, Harvest
Thanksgiving and the Carol Service. The Boys' Brigade have increased their
membership in the Company Section, but there is much scope for enlargement of
our work among the younger boys and girls.

By the kindness of the officers of Haydons Park Baptist Church we were able to hold a Baptismal Service in their premises on Saturday
March 17th, and this was an occasion of great joy as Mr. Tim Peagam made public
profession of his faith in our Lord. It was then our happy privilege to be
represented as a Fellowship at the baptism of Mr. & Mrs. Graham White at
North Cheam in early December, and later in that month, also the baptism of Mr.
& Mrs. John Smith in Worcester Park.

Living with builders has become a way of life at the Mission since they first set foot on the premises in October 1977. In July the General
Committee felt led to request them to put in hand the formation of the improved
entrance and lobby and the addition of new ladies' toilets. By the end of the
year a substantial part of this work had been carried through. The accounts
show that, as the work has proceeded, the Lord has wonderfully provided through
the gifts of His people.

We conclude as the Book of Psalms concludes, 'Let everything
that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord!'

Yours in His service

Philip Rose.'

And so, with significant modernisation work nearing
completion, and Centenary celebrations planned for early 1980, our church
looked to be in a strong position for moving forward into a new chapter - but
no-one could have foreseen what changes were waiting for this small fellowship
early in that new year . . . (more next time)

CHURCH NEWS, September 2017

My First Year at University

I went off
to the University of Bristol last September with great expectations. Hearing of
my older sister Esther's experiences from Durham University, I was excited to
get involved with the Christian Union, make lots of new friends and study hard.
I was especially determined to find a good new church and to be an ambassador
for Christ in my Hall of Residence.

However,
things were not as easy as I thought they would be.

When my
family dropped me off at university, my Mum presented me with a necklace which
had a sparkly stone centrepiece with lots of little stones around the edge. She
wisely told me that when God is at the centre, like the stone centrepiece,
everything else will fit into place around Him. As I went through the first few
weeks of university, making friends was a priority for me and so late nights
chatting became the norm and it became harder and harder for me to keep up with
doing daily Bible reading. I began to feel a bit lost, knowing that I was
trusting the Lord and that He was in charge, yet feeling distant from Him. This
wasn't helped by the fact that I was struggling to choose a church as there
were so many good churches in Bristol!

What really
helped was that I became heavily involved in the Christian Union and God gave
me close Christian friends. I began to appreciate the importance of honesty and
accountability in friendships as we are told to 'carry each other's burdens'
(Galatians 6 v 2). I was really helped by my friend Hannah who started doing
Bible studies with me over the phone about once a week.
In the weeks following, I started attending Emmanuel Westbury Church, one that I hadn't tried before, and I felt at home there. I prayed about it and decided
that Westbury was where I was to be. One thing that I really love about it is
that there are student small groups after the service which gives us the
opportunity to discuss what we have learned and apply it to our lives. I found
this so useful in building up my relationship with God.

By the time
I returned to university in January, after the Christmas break, I felt much
more settled and realised that in all the madness of the first term I had been
relying on myself rather than depending on the Lord. I remembered what Mum had
said to me at the beginning of the year and she was so right! Life really is best
when God is at the centre!

Since then,
God has been teaching me more and more about himself. Throughout my studying,
working late up until deadlines and doing exams, I have learned more about what
it means to 'not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God' (Philippians 4 v
6). I have never had such peace before about exams and I know that it was from
God.

Our CU
Events week was also a great time as declaring Christ as Lord to others gives
you greater joy in the fact! The main theme of our events week was 'More to
life' with our speaker giving talks each day about how faith in Christ is
greater than money, relationships, work, or leisure. This again reminded me of
how when Christ is at the centre of our lives, rather than these things, everything
else fits in around Him.

Another
defining moment for me during my first year at university was our CU trip to
Word Alive. I especially appreciated the teaching on Galatians which taught how
we are saved by faith alone and that good works cannot save us, but they are
the evidence of a life changed by the gospel. I really struggled with this as,
having been a Christian for 11 years, I realised that I had begun to lose the
joy of the gospel and had started to live out the Christian life in a sense of
'I have to do this because the Bible says so' rather than 'I love the Lord so
much that I delight to do this for His glory'. This change in thinking has been
so crucial as I now find greater joy in the gospel.

This joy in
the gospel has been aided through my friend Charlotte. Charlotte comes from a
non-Christian family and while at university was taken along to a 'Grill a
Christian' event and Christianity Explored by one of my friends. A group of us
started to pray for her and in November she came to faith in Christ! Since then
we have become good friends and I am constantly in awe of how enthusiastic she
is about Jesus.

So be
encouraged! God is good and the gospel is amazing. Reading the Bible is so
crucial as it is God's word to us! If you don't read the Bible frequently, I
absolutely recommend reading the Bible daily. And if you do read the Bible
daily, continue and persevere! 'The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the
soul' (Psalm 19 v 7).

God
is faithful! When I was struggling during the first term, God was faithful in
bringing me back to Himself, getting me back into the Bible, surrounding me
with wise Christian friends and providing me with a good church. He is so good
and He deserves all our praise. 'And in all things we know that God works for
the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose'
(Romans 8 v 28).

Naomi Havell

picture: Bristol University Christian Union

Other News

Please pray very much for Singh & Mala Chuttoo &
family, especially grandchildren Kavisha & Kavinran, after the untimely
passing of Singh & Mala's younger daughter Usha, towards the end of July.
(This was following some years of suffering the severe after-effects of
encephalitis, which she sadly contracted in 2011.) She was only 34.

On a brighter note, there is
encouraging news on Maggie Connor's state of health. The
Consultant is generally pleased with Maggie's overall progress. The
results of her complete bone scan in August have revealed much improvement,
which the Consultant thinks is due to the infusions which she has been having
each month. It is too early to say yet whether
the cancer in her body has fully responded to treatment but it is felt that
things are going in the right direction. Maggie is due to see the Consultant
again in October and a further CT body scan will be arranged to monitor the
progress of her treatment.

Hilary Gower

From the Archives - Our First Missionary

Harry Bacon, in his own words, part 3

After the
war, I had eighteen months' study to my BA, then a year at a Bible school, and
then off to South America. My mother and my sister Emily accompanied me to Liverpool. The ship in which I was to travel to Brazil, S.S.Balfe, was one built during
the war of 1914-18, a cargo ship. My Mission had secured for me the pilot's
cabin, roomy and high up on the deck. I had it to myself. The ship stayed in
dock for a day, because of a storm in the Irish channel. When we put out the
next day, I was with the captain on the bridge a little later, when he said:
"Well, we might as well have stayed in port another day, for all the progress
we are making!". The contrary wind was equal to what the engines could
produce. When I got on board, I recognized a passenger who had been at a
meeting of ex-'conscientious objectors' a few weeks previous. He was sharing a
cabin down below. He told me that his fellow passenger was a strange type, and
although English was a sun-worshipper. He asked me if I would mind changing
places with this chap. Yes, I confess, I would mind, but the situation for my
brother in Christ was too bad, so we changed. He gave me the upper bunk, and
when later on the ship rolled on its beam ends in the heavy swell, a wave came
in the open porthole, and soaked his bed, so I was grateful. We kept the
porthole closed after that!

Although it
was a cargo ship, beside us three men, we had two families with small children.
It became obvious that the families, cattle ranchers, had quarreled previously
in their occupations. The quarrel was renewed one mealtime, in unrestrained
hostility. My companion hopped off quickly to the cabin! The ship's captain
was a small-built man - I felt that I should stay, as there was only him
between the enemies. But it did not go beyond words. After this, we had
Christmas and New Year to pass on the boat - it was not the fastest vessel on
the seas. So we were greatly relieved to get to Rio!

I was
received in Rio by Graham Johnson, a veteran of pre-war days, for whom I thank
God. We reached the railway station. The railway engines were tipped up on
end; when we started to move up the mountain, the engines were level, and so
had their full force for the climb. Graham put me in a coach, and went off for
some purpose, saying to me "Keep a seat for me." A person came by, looked at
the seat next to me; I had learned a little Portuguese on the journey, so I
said (in Portuguese) "It is taken", and the man moved on. I felt I had
achieved something.

A few weeks
later, I had the opposite experience. I was visiting for the local church, and
the lady of the house asked "Would you like a coffee?" I replied: "Thank
you". We talked on. I stayed for an hour or so, and no coffee came. So I said
goodbye, and left, coffee-less. Later, I learned that, in Brazil, "Thank you" means "No, thank you"; I should have said "I accept". I must tell you
one incident when I had to stay at a lodging, before Betty's arrival. I was in
a little room, directly over the kitchen; it was the only vacancy they had. I
woke in the night, feeling something had just crawled over my face. I put the
light on, and the room was full of cockroaches, over the ceiling and the
walls. I pulled the sheet right over my head, and slept till morning. When I
woke up, there was not one cockroach to be seen; I went off and rented my own
place!

I was in Brazil for a year before Betty completed her Bible school training. I met her off the
ship. The Mission's rule was that she should learn the language before we
married, so we waited, and then married. After pastoral ministry in Juiz de Fora and Curitiba, we both moved into teaching in Bible schools. This was our
main ministry, in five different States of Brazil. We have since had links with
former students on the furthest frontiers of the country, and those in service
among the indigenous tribes. Another ministry that came our way was student
work with the Brazilian branch of the UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian
Fellowship). During the Military Dictatorship in the 1970s no student meetings
were allowed on campus - so they met at our house, and we were often speakers
and went to many of their camps and conferences. We praise God that he could
use us in this way.

We retired
in Brazil, as most of our children and grandchildren live here. After retiring,
we cooperated in starting a new church in our vicinity, and Betty worked for a
number of years on the production of the Portuguese NIV Bible, in a team
translating Old Testament Hebrew and Aramaic into Portuguese.

Harry Bacon

CHURCH NEWS, July 2017

For your prayers

We were very sorry to hear of the passing of Lionel 'Rugie'
Forbes at the end of June, after a long battle with cancer. Our thoughts &
prayers go out to sister Lydia, brother Paul, Rugie's children and the rest of
the family at this time.

Also, please pray for Liz, Anna & Jonathan Rajo, just
returned from Madagascar, & planning to settle in the U.K., as they seek
God's guidance for housing & schooling for the next few years, & Liz as
she undertakes training to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Hilary Gower

Our newest member, Randy Asante-Scott

Randy's mum came from a Christian family but the
'Christianity' that was promoted seemed more of a cultural thing and the
children attended church when their mum went but were not pressured into
conforming or coming to faith.

At the age of nine Randy and his brothers (Nana, aged 13 and
Gerald, five at the time) went into foster care: Randy and Gerald to one home
and Nana to another (part of the time with Enid Parchment, one of our own
members). After a while they began to have some contact time with their mum on
Sundays which included occasionally coming to Summerstown Mission with her.

Randy left school at 16 and started attending college in Kingston. One day, on the way back on the bus, a friend asked him if he was a Christian.
He answered 'yes' but later started to think why he had answered in that way
and began to explore what it meant to be a Christian. He started attending
Summerstown Mission more regularly, sometimes going into Sunday Club and other
times staying in for the sermon and he became aware of people secure in their
faith. He came to appreciate that being a Christian is not about good works or
a parent's faith but about a personal relationship with God. He discovered
Romans 10 v. 9 which says "if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". He
did this but was not aware of any instant transformation: rather, over the
course of time, has seen a gradual change and developing in his relationship
with God. There have been times of feeling unworthy; of battles with sins; and
of feeling frustrated having gone back into sinful ways - but he recognises
that he has been chosen by God and that God has done so much for him. He knows
God is real and that it would be impossible to live without Him.

In his first year at university, Randy attended the
Christian Union from time to time and he became a committee member in his
second year with the role of publicity and promotion of events. During that
second year he was baptised at Summerstown Mission. He acknowledges that the CU
was not as high a commitment as it could have been as he was also much involved
with football and the activities of the physiotherapy cohort. However, his
friends knew of his Christian faith and he has had opportunity to speak to them
about Christ. He doesn't find it easy to bring up the subject but has noticed a
repeating pattern whereby God has caused his friends to do the asking so that
he has an open door and can speak naturally.

Randy has been involved in speaking at Family Focus on a
Sunday morning, & helping out as a leader for the weekly 'Junior Focus'
club, and is hoping to get more involved in other areas of Christian service -
particularly to help young people on the estate opposite the church; maybe via
Junior Focus, or possibly organising a sports club, and opening his home, too.
He would also like to get involved with Sunday Club, helping with the teenagers
on a Sunday morning.

We are delighted to welcome Randy into membership with us,
& look forward to seeing how God will lead him as he makes himself
available to serve his Saviour.

Malcolm Havell

Update on Junior Focus

Junior Focus, on Monday nights, for kids age 8 - 14,
continues to be a great opportunity & also a great challenge. Last year we
posed the questions, 'Following Jesus - is it easy?' ('No'); 'Is it worth it?'
('Yes'), following the progress of the first disciples, & looking at
modern-day Christians & the evidence of Christ in their lives.

We continued to chart the disciples' progress through the
early chapters of Acts, specifically looking at the transformation of the Holy
Spirit ('before/after'), followed by 'How come we've got the Bible?' & 'How
did Christianity reach so far & last so long?', from the spread of the
Gospel in later chapters of Acts.

Attendance was very good, with around 15-20 each week, who
mostly mixed with each other very well, despite the wide age-range.

After the summer break, we looked at 'What is prayer, &
how does it work?' with interviews / question & answer sessions, as well as
examples from Scripture. Sadly, attendance dropped off significantly towards
the end of the year, though many of our regulars frequently attend Messy Church, and five of our members have asked Jesus into their hearts, with two showing
some spiritual growth. (One of these boys has since moved away, and no longer
comes to the club or Messy Church. Please pray that he will find another
Christian Youth Club who will disciple him.)

At the start of this year, attendance picked up again, as we
looked at 'Where is your life going? Are you on the right path?', using
Nicodemus, the Samaritan lady, & Zacchaeus as examples of people challenged
by Jesus on exactly this subject. Then, with a fresh intake of completely
'un-churched' members since Easter, we have gone back to a simpler presentation
of the Gospel week by week, 'What does it mean to be a Christian?'.

Thanks to Naomi Havell for being an invaluable part of our
small leadership team, until her departure for University - and thanks to
younger brother Luke for seamlessly taking over from her, and fitting in so
well. Also thanks to Randy for helping out recently as well.

Hilary Gower

From the Archives - Our First Missionary

Harry Bacon, in his own words, part 2

I would like to retrace my steps a little, in regard to
where I finished in Part One, to tell a little more of my commitment and call.
I had felt as I attended Summerstown, that I ought to make some witness to my
desire to follow Christ. My teacher in Sunday school was Albert Croucher, and
one afternoon I stayed behind after class in order to speak to him about it.
He gave me much reassurance - he was a great Christian. As I grew older, the
feeling grew that I ought to be prepared to be a missionary. The leader of my
brothers' afternoon Bible class, Mr. Law had, I believe, been in mission work
in Brazil. What is certain is that there were (probably in successive years)
several missionary messages about Brazil. Then one day at school, we were
called up one by one by the headmaster to discuss vocation. To my shame, I did
not dare to say: "I want to be a missionary". I had also thought of being an
Anglican minister, and that is what I mentioned.

In September 1939, war was declared, and Bec School was evacuated out of London. I was then awaiting word from Queen Mary College, and eventually was told we were to be received as guests of King's College, Cambridge. So I had a year and a term in Cambridge (at various times getting there, from London, on my bicycle). It was a wonderful year in Cambridge; I did a lot of boating on
the river Cam, both rowing boats and punts, & all my family came to visit,
including my father.

Derek Kidner was the President of the C.I.C.C.U, at that
time. I attended their meetings, and became a member of the Cambridge
Volunteer Union, those who have pledged themselves to become missionaries. I
also attended a local Baptist church, but it was very liberal. During the year,
Martin Lloyd Jones came one Sunday, and preached in the restaurant called
'Dorothy's' (I think they shortened it to 'the Dot'). He had a full house. I
overheard one student say to another as they went out afterwards: "Hmm . . .
very smug!". That was the attitude of the world to the assured preaching of the
Gospel.

By the end of 1940, I had had my tribunal to be a
'conscientious objector' in the war effort, and knew I would soon get my
call-up papers. While I waited to be called, I offered to work in
'rest-centres' for people bombed out of their homes. These were mostly in
school buildings, the schools themselves having been evacuated to the country.
I worked in a centre in the East End. How it could be, I don't know, but a
raid never occurred a night that I was on duty. I would get to the centre
early in the evening, and there would be a new intake of people from the night
before to be got into shape, calmed down, and fed. If there had to be raids, I
was rather hoping I could be in the middle of one. But our more or less
permanent clientele, those whose homes were so completely destroyed there was
no home to go back to, became quite a chummy community.

In February 1941 the Army claimed me. I had to go to
Ilfracombe for initial training for the Non-Combatant Corps. One day, a notice
appeared on our notice-board, saying that volunteers were needed to go to work
on unexploded bombs. (Bombs dropped by enemy planes often failed to go off on
hitting the ground.) I went to give my name in at the Company office. The
secretary there was one of us, a 'conchie'. He said: "Look, Bacon, if there
were only a reasonable measure of danger in this, I wouldn't say anything. But
there have been so many deaths. Do you really want to take the risk?" I replied:
"I'm not a 'conchie' to avoid the risk of dying, but in order not to have to
kill other people." So my name went down. When we were digging, we knew that
the vibration of our picks and shovels could set the bomb off. Digging at the
bottom of the hole, nearest the bomb, I always felt fine. If the worst
happened, I would immediately be in the Lord's presence, but working on one of
the platforms on the way up the hole, or clearing the soil from the top, there
was the possibility of severe injury and mutilation, so that wasn't so good.

Further on I volunteered as a nursing orderly in the
parachute brigades - the Royal Army Medical Corps. This was for the planned
landing in France.

Now, I am not the athletic, daring type at all. I had never
calculated that anything like parachuting would come my way. It may come as
second nature to some, but not to me. I had never done a decent jump over the
vaulting horse at school, even. So I began to wonder how I had landed myself
in this situation - I was, in fact, a bit amazed at myself. My daily
Bible-reading was usually done at night, but I found that in my state of
nerves, it was easiest to let Daily Light Bible notes choose the readings for
me. I was surprised at the readings that turned up. I can still find them
(from the beginning of August that year); "Set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things
above, not on things on the earth" (Col.3:1,2); "Oh that you would rend the
heavens and come down" (Is.64:1), and so on. I know it's bad interpretation,
but it helped me at the time!

I jumped into Normandy on D-Day. Just before departure I
prayed with a group of Christians and some time after arrival in Normandy we prayed together again.

At the beginning of the war, I had been already in touch
with the Evangelical Union of South America. More on that next time . . .

Harry Bacon

CHURCH NEWS, May 2017

Update On Minis And Minders

We continue to be busy with word of mouth providing a
regular supply of new attendees.

Mornings have continued with the usual provision of toys,
craft activities, play dough and song time. We have added new toys (tractor,
car track, wooden castle and instruments) and had other second-hand toys
donated. Easter and Christmas give opportunity to celebrate and share our
faith, and at the end of the Autumn and Summer terms we have had our customary
lunch parties.

For years Stella has been a busy worker in the kitchen,
preparing teas, coffees, juice and biscuits, washing up and prayerfully keeping
an eye on us! However at Christmas she hung up her Minis & Minders tea
towel and retired. We would like to thank her for her years of faithful
ministry and wish her every blessing as she puts her feet up now on Wednesday
mornings.

We have been blessed by Maggie joining Dillan and me each
week and Dave joining the rota with Peter and Graham. However, recent health
issues have forced Maggie to take a step back from this work, for the time
being.

Jo Havell

Update On Messy Church

This church group continues to thrive, attracting good
numbers of church folk and visitors. We meet about once every half term and
have been following a series through the Old Testament during our celebration
time. These have included Moses and the manna and quail, two sessions on the
Ten Commandments and fighting the battle of Jericho (complete with noisy
trumpets made during the session). The families engage enthusiastically with
the celebration and the craft activities reflect aspects of the story and are
often used during its telling.

We also have sessions to celebrate Easter and Christmas and
usually have a BBQ and fun day in September, although a number of situations
meant that we were unable to run one last year.

The celebration is always followed by a sit down meal in the
lower hall, giving an opportunity to chat with the children and families. This
is a busy, sociable time with plenty of seconds to be had.

The church remains hugely supportive of Messy Church and as Naomi headed off to university and Stella retired from her role in
registration, the Lord provided Dave and Maggie Connor.

Thank you to all those who help with Messy Church, and, with God's blessing, make it the success that it is.

Jo Havell

Maggie Connor Health Update

Unfortunately Maggie has once again been diagnosed with
breast cancer, which has spread to the lymph nodes in her chest, affecting her
right lung. She also has secondary cancer in her bones and is awaiting further
scans to determine the extent of the osteoporosis. She will be given treatment
in the form of infusions to strengthen the bones, thus stemming the growth of
the cancer. The breast cancer will initially be treated using hormone
replacement tablets, and it is hoped that this also will stem the growth of the
cancer.

This is all obviously extremely frustrating for Maggie, one
of our newest members, yet she maintains the positive attitude that has helped
her cope with various health problems in recent years. She and Dave
testify that everything they do is under the Lord's loving care, as the Apostle
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5 v.7, 'Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for
you'. They are grateful for everyone's support and prayers at this time.

Hilary Gower

From the Archives - Our First Missionary

I was born at 143a, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, on 18th May,
1920; that is, eighteen months after the end of the First World War. I was
sixth out of seven children; my oldest brother, Charlie (as we called him
then), was ten years my elder.

I don't know how far our way of living was limited by the
aftermath of the war, and how far it was due to our poverty, but I do remember
when we had our first butter, and my mother said: "If you're having jam on
your bread, then you should have margarine. If it's butter, then appreciate
the bread and butter on their own."

When I was four years old, my sister Lily was born. Then my
mother took us both to the local Church of England (St. Mary's, Summerstown) to
be christened, baptized by sprinkling. I don't remember anything about it
except that the baptistry was dome-shaped and was painted with the moon and
stars.

I attended Smallwood Road School; I believe I started at the
age of four years.

Later I moved up to the Senior Boys. Our teacher, Mr.
Davies, had been a Sergeant-Major during the War. Mr. Davies used to say that
he fought in the war so that we shouldn't have to fight. "It was the war to
end all wars" was the current saying around 1930.

Our mother and father never (or hardly ever) went to church,
but my mother saw to it that we children all attended Sunday School (afternoon)
at Summerstown Mission, at the end of our road. At 12 years Charlie was converted
at a mission led by Messrs. Bennett and Plant. In succession, in the years
that followed, all six of the rest of us accepted Christ. My sisters took part
in a children's' activity called 'The Spartan Band'. They also sang in a
children's choir at the morning Service, and Florrie (the eldest) kept the
certificate she gained for this. It doesn't give her first name, Florence, correctly, and it bears no date, but it is such a beautiful production that I
have had it framed to hang in my study.

In 1935, occurred the Silver Jubilee of the reign of King
George V and Queen Mary. I was in the Boys Brigade at our church, Summerstown
Mission, and I was a sergeant. One of our Company could attend the celebration
parade, and I was given the opportunity. My place was on the Victoria Monument, opposite the gates of Buckingham Palace. It was obvious that public
enthusiasm for the event was very great; the roads in every direction were
packed with people. It was only a year before the death of King George. I had
an excellent view of the great ones going by, some in open horse carriages.

(To be continued)

Harry Bacon

CHURCH NEWS, March 2017

New Venture!

'COM Club' ('Come On Mondays') started last October, to
cater for the over 55s, filling the gap left by the closure of 'Friends'. In
order to strengthen the base for this work, it has been established in
conjunction with St Mary's Summerstown (just over the road from us). Meeting
monthly at present (on the second Monday of each month), attendance has been
between 15 & 20, with around 30 different people coming along at one time
or another, which is a considerable increase compared with attendance for 'Friends'.

Activities have included crafts, knitting & board games,
along with a Christian 'pause for thought'. Birthdays are celebrated, and
refreshments served.

The December meeting was a little different, with games
organised by Pauline Ryan from St Mary's (vicar Roger's wife), carols organised
by Stella Fifield, a 'pause for thought' on a Christmas theme, and festive
refreshments.

It has been an encouraging start, and our thanks go out to
all who have supported us in this. However we don't want to be complacent - it
is important that we build on this good foundation. More work needs to be done
to draw people in who do not yet attend church. We also aim to have a greater
variety of activities, and welcome ideas as to what we could do, or any
speakers we could invite. Please also continue to pray for this work.

Graham &
Rosie Jones

New Arrival!

Thelma and I were delighted to become first-time
grand-parents when Esme Jean Bines-White was born on 23 January at University College Hospital in Euston. She was born three weeks early by C-section and
weighed just 4lb 4oz.

Due to medical complications Esme spent her first few days
in the High Dependency Unit and since then has been in the Special Care Unit. It's
not been an easy time for our daughter Melanie and son-in-law Dan, but they
have coped really well. They, of course, can't wait to finally get her home!
Currently, the doctors are working on getting Esme's blood sugar level stable
and managing a very rare condition which means that her body isn't producing
the steroid hormone, cortisol. It's possible that the natural process may start
by itself, however, if this doesn't happen within six months to a year, it will
almost certainly mean permanent medication.

We would be very grateful for your prayers for Dan and
Melanie that God may speak to them in His love and also for Esme that our
Lord's gracious hand may be on her.

Peter &
Thelma Bines

From the Archives . . . How come
our church owns a house?

In 1984, SMEC 'inherited' no. 20 Wimbledon Road,
Summerstown, primarily for a manse, or to put to some other good use. It's one
of those typical long, thin 3-bedroomed Victorian terraced houses that London is full of, with a tiny back garden, & barely off the street at the front. So
who did it belong to? And how did the church end up owning it?
It belonged to a lady called Miss Doris Pett, who lived there from 1902 - 1984
(her entire life), whose parents were members at Summerstown Mission, her
father being Sunday School superintendent, at a time when there were up to 200
children coming along, and her mother one of the teachers. So from the age of
15 Doris herself was involved, already playing the piano for the 3-8s class on
Sunday mornings. From there her responsibilities grew & within a few years
she was co-leader of the children's choir, & co-leader of the junior girls'
'Spartan Band', a week-night club of P.E. & games.
The Pett family home was used almost as an extension of the church premises,
being conveniently close to the church: there were always guests to Sunday tea,
the young people's group were frequent visitors, and there was always a welcome
for anyone who had forgotten their church keys, arrived too early, had a
problem, or any other 'excuse'. Even after her parents both passed away, Doris maintained this practice of opening her home for Bible studies, prayer meetings,
Sunday School teachers' meetings, committee meetings and occasionally the
women's meeting as well! Long before the church had a burglar alarm, any church
items that could be readily stolen were stored instead at no. 20.
After her friend Annie Naylor moved in (another single lady), Doris continued
to extend this hospitality, and her & Annie also did the catering for
Sunday School parties & Young Life Campaign events for years.
When I knew Doris (always referred to as 'Miss Pett'), she was a very quiet,
reserved older lady, who took my Sunday School 'primary' class (age 4-7s),
following the same format every week, playing a simple piano accompaniment for
our choruses, and never, ever seen without a hat! (I remember being taken to
her home one time when I was still quite young, and being almost shocked to see
her 'naked' head!)
So was there more to this quiet, unassuming, godly lady than it appears? Was
there ever! Doris spent her career within the Civil Service, which is all most
people knew of her working life. Only after the start of the 2nd
World War did her mother let slip, 'Doris always has her case packed &
ready - where the King goes, there Doris goes!' did it emerge that she worked
for the Privy Council! For her lifetime of unquestioning dedication to monarch
& country Doris was awarded 1st the M.B.E. &, just before
she retired, the M.V.O. (Member of the Royal Victorian Order), a rare honour
given to her by the Queen herself, who expressed her gratitude for Doris' long & faithful service.
Yet for the 100s of people who attended the church during those years that
Doris served at Summerstown, (becoming Assistant Secretary in 1937 &
eventually General Secretary in 1968) there was no clue, no hint, of the truly
heroic nature of the lady 'under the hat' - just a quiet, gentle soul who
taught Sunday School 'til well into her 80s, & simply, faithfully played
the piano every Sunday evening. Maybe this shows her humble loyalty &
devotion to her even greater King, her Lord & Saviour. And explains why,
having no immediate family to whom to bequeath her worldly goods, she chose to
bless the church, on her passing, with the house that she had shared with her
church family her entire life.